Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition has arrived on Nintendo Switch, and it features a deep battle system with a lot of different mechanics to master. This system is fundamentally similar to the one in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so if you’ve played that entry, you’ll already be familiar with the basics. That said, there are some notable differences that set the two apart.
While the in-game tutorials do a good job of acclimating you to the various components of Xenoblade Chronicles’ battle system, there are some nuances that aren’t as well explained. To help you out, we’ve put together this guide breaking down the battle system’s different mechanics and how to effectively use them.
We gave the remastered RPG a 9/10 in our Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition review. Critic Jake Dekker wrote, “Although not every aspect of Xenoblade Chronicles has aged as well as others, Definitive Edition proves that Xenoblade Chronicles is still a fantastic JRPG with an immense amount of strategic depth that’s still impressive in 2020.”
For more on Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, be sure to check out our roundup of essential tips and things the game doesn’t tell you. And if you’ve played Xenoblade Chronicles 2, you’ll have another leg up when starting your adventure. Those with XC2 save data on their Switch will receive a nice bonus when starting up Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition–100,000 gold.
Xenoblade Chronicles’ combat system is more akin to that of an MMO than a traditional JRPG. You can maneuver your character around in real time during battle, and they’ll execute basic auto-attacks when they’re positioned close enough to an enemy.
Arts
As your character lands auto-attacks, they’ll gradually build up their Arts–special attacks that can run the gamut from restoring HP and buffing allies to dealing direct damage and casting debuffs. Many Arts inflict greater damage based on your positioning. For instance, Shulk’s Back Slash will deal twice as much damage when executed from behind a foe, making your position during battle vital.
After you use an Art, there will be a cooldown period before you can select it again. The amount of time it takes an Art to cool down will decrease as you level that attack up, so be sure to regularly level up your Arts as you progress through the adventure.
Status Conditions
In addition to dealing damage, most of the Arts at your disposal can cause secondary effects. For example, Shulk’s Stream Edge inflicts the Break status on an enemy, making them susceptible to being Toppled if a teammate follows up with an appropriate Art. Toppling an enemy will cause them to be briefly incapacitated and open them up to being Dazed. It’s important to keep this sequence of conditions in mind and chain these types of Arts together, particularly when battling bosses, as they’ll give you a significant advantage in combat.
Since you can only directly control one character at a time during battle, you’ll need to rely on your AI companions to follow your lead. While they are generally good about Toppling enemies and inflicting other status conditions when necessary, the AI isn’t perfect, and they may miss their cues. However, you have a chance to take matters into your own hands with a Chain Attack, which we’ll discuss further below.
Party Gauge
Perform well in battle and your party’s Affinity will increase, which in turn will fill your Party Gauge. This is displayed in the upper lefthand corner of the screen and is divided into three segments. You can spend one segment to revive a fallen teammate or warn them of an incoming attack, and the battle will continue so long as one segment of the gauge is full, even if your character faints. When all three segments are filled, you’ll be able to pull off a Chain Attack.
Chain Attacks
If you’ve maxed out your Party Gauge, you’ll have the option to use a Chain Attack. This will effectively freeze time and let you manually select an Art for each member of your team to use, giving you the perfect opportunity to inflict status conditions on enemies. The effectiveness of your attacks will also increase if you use Arts of the same color consecutively.
After all three members of your party have executed their Art, you may see a prompt to press the B button. Do so in time and you’ll extend the Chain Attack. The number of times you can extend a Chain Attack depends on a few factors, including your party members’ Affinity for one another, but you can potentially extend the Chain Attack up to 15 turns.
While Chain Attacks can deal an incredible amount of damage to foes, you’ll deplete your entire Party Gauge after using one. This means you won’t be able to revive a teammate should they be knocked out, leaving you vulnerable. For this reason, you’ll need to think carefully and find the best moment to execute a Chain Attack.
Monado Arts
Shulk’s Monado is the only weapon capable of damaging the Mechon. Fortunately, it has its own suite of Arts separate from Shulk’s standard attacks. Most of these revolve around buffing your allies. For instance, Enchant powers up your teammates’ weapons and allows them to damage Mechon as well. You’ll gradually unlock more Monado Arts as you make your way through the story, and you’ll rely on them frequently to deal with the escalating threats you face.
Changing The Future
The Monado also gives Shulk the power of clairvoyance, and you can use that to your advantage during battle. If an enemy is about to launch a devastating attack, Shulk will have a vision of it before it happens. This gives you the opportunity to change the future.
You can alter the course of events in a few ways. You can spend one segment of your Party Gauge to warn a teammate, allowing you to select an Art for them to use and disrupt the incoming attack. Shulk himself can also potentially change the future by using a Monado Art to shield an ally from damage. Fail to act in time, however, and the vision will come to pass.
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If you’re looking for a game or two with riveting gameplay, this week’s sale at the Xbox Store focuses on action games of all stripes. The Rockin’ Action Sale discounts nearly 100 Xbox One games, including newer hits like Metro Exodus and Borderlands 3 and older favorites such as the Devil May Cry HD Collection and Batman: Return to Arkham. You have until June 1 to shop the Rockin’ Action Sale.
Mega Man games feel right at home on Nintendo Switch thanks to the portability of the massively popular (and currently hard-to-find) console. Thankfully, every mainline Mega Man title as well as a pair of spin-off series are available on Switch, and they are currently on sale for great prices at the Nintendo Eshop. The Mega Man franchise sale ends May 31, so you only have a few days to take advantage of these discounts.
The recently released Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is on sale for $22.49, which is the first discount we’ve seen on the Nintendo Switch version. The collection compiles six titles that originally released on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS: Mega Man Zero 1-4, Mega Man ZX, and ZX Advent. If you prefer a physical version, Amazon has the collection discounted to $24.90.
More Nintendo Switch deals
The entire mainline franchise can be purchased for roughly $35 total, with Mega Man 11 on sale for $15, Mega Man Legacy Collection down to $9.89, and Legacy Collection 2 for $10. The first Legacy Collection comes with Mega Man 1-6, while Legacy Collection 2 has Mega Man 7-10.
The most well-known Mega Man spin-off series, Mega Man X, also has a pair of Legacy Collections on sale for 50% off at $10. Mega Man X Legacy Collection compiles the first four Mega Man X games, while X Legacy Collection 2 rounds the series out with the last four.
The best wireless security cameras have climbed their way to the top of the smart home chain. They’re among the most popular smart home devices right now, thanks to the many benefits they bring to the table. These security solutions are not only easier to install and more accessible to renters than their wired counterparts, but they’re also generally more affordable.
Before we delve into our list of the best wireless security cameras, there are a couple of things you must know. The “wireless” part refers specifically to the mode of transmission. These security cameras transmit security footage – more specifically, video and audio signal – without the use of a cable. That means that these cameras can either utilize a cable for power or be battery-powered. With that in mind, these are our top picks for the best wireless security cameras available right now, from ones that use a power cord to those that are truly wire-free.
TL;DR – These are the Best Wireless Security Cameras:
Because it uses a power cable, the Wyze Cam V2 is not completely wireless. However, that doesn’t stop it from beating the rest of the battery-powered offerings out there in price, reliability, features, and storage options. This is a solid and versatile security camera that’s incredibly feature-rich and one of the cheapest options out there.
Among the features we love are its 8x digital zoom for live streaming, CO2 and smoke alarm detection and notification, a magnetic base for effortless mounting, 2-way audio, timelapse recording, and its 3-axis design so you can tilt and turn it to whichever direction you desire without messing with the mount. Of course, it also boasts all the bare essentials like motion detection, alerts and notifications, as well as night vision of up to 30 feet. It’s also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and it comes with free cloud storage that saves 12 second video clips for up to 14 days. All that for less than $30 – this one’s truly a bargain.
If Wyze Cam’s plethora of features still isn’t enough to convince you, then the Wyze Cam Pan’s feature set might be. It takes all the beloved features of the original model – from 2-way audio, night vision and live streaming to smart home integration and free cloud storage – and takes them up a level further. This wireless security camera has a bigger audio speaker, a wider 120-degree field-of-view, and much improved night vision.
Best of all, however, is the panning feature. The Wyze Cam Pan boasts a 360-degree rotation range, a 93-degree vertical tilting range, and high-speed panning at 110 degrees per second. Plus, not only does it have motion detection, but it can actually track motion within its field-of-view. So whether you’re trying to see what your pet is up to or hoping to get a glimpse of an intruder’s face, this camera will do the job.
This wireless security camera has a battery-powered model and a plug-in model, so you can take your pick depending on your preference. But, that isn’t the Ring Spotlight Cam’s best feature. Beyond the essential features like night vision, motion detection, motion-detection alerts, and live video streaming, it also boasts a couple of features that other top contenders don’t.
Short of hiring professional monitoring, the Ring Spotlight Cam is your best protection against would-be intruders, thanks to its motion-activated LED spotlights and its 110-decibel siren alarm. Not only can this security camera send you a notification every time it detects motion, it also turns its spotlights on. To top that off, it gives you the option to turn on its 110-decibel siren. With the spotlight and the siren, you should be able to sound the alarm if there’s an actual crime happening. Better yet, you would be able to scare off intruders before they even get close to committing a crime.
Unfortunately, those features do not come cheap. And, you have to pay an extra $3 a month to have the ability to store your videos in cloud storage. But, it still beats having to pay for a professional security service.
With a range of power source options, the Ring Stick Up Cam is great for both indoor and outdoor use. This wireless security camera has rechargeable battery-powered, plug-in and solar-powered models, giving consumers a variety of options to choose from. Those who prefer to use sustainable energy sources, however, will love the Ring Stick Up Cam Solar. It comes with its own solar panel as well as backup power bank so it can stay charged, rain or shine. So not only is it money-saving at $150, but it’s energy-saving as well.
As far as its security camera features, it boasts night vision, two-way audio, real-time notifications, live view, and effortless installation. Since it’s an indoor/outdoor camera, it also has weather resistance, and can withstand extreme temperatures of down to -5°F and up to 122°F. For convenience, it is compatible with Alexa-enabled devices, Ring devices and even certain smart locks.
For a truly wire-free security camera that’s perfect for both indoor and outdoor installations, nothing beats Blink XT2 Outdoor/Indoor Smart Security Camera. This svelte wireless security camera promises a two-year battery life so you won’t have to constantly worry about it running out of juice at the most crucial moments. And, unlike some of its rivals, every unit comes with free cloud storage so you can save hundreds of clips stored up to a year without committing to a monthly service fee.
Of course, as an outdoor camera, it features weather-proofing as well – IP65-rated weather resistance, in fact. It offers temperature monitoring as well. Among its other mention-worthy features include motion-activated instant-on recording, live-streaming, alerts and notifications, 2-way audio, and Alexa-compatibility. Perhaps the best part of this camera, however, is that it gives you all those features and cloud storage for only $99 a pop. And, it gets even cheaper when you buy the bundles.
If you’ve got quite a bit of cash to spend on a wireless security camera, or you need one with a higher than 1080p resolution, you’d want to consider the Arlo Pro 3. This is one of the most highly-rated wireless security camera systems on the market right now, with great features and a terrific set of extra accessories to match.
This premium camera comes with premium features like a 160-degree viewing angle, 2K resolution with HDR for crisper images, color night vision, a spotlight, 12x digital zoom, and a built-in siren. It also has a magnetic mount and a magnetic charge cable. That’s on top of the usual 2-way audio, motion detector, auto-zooming and tracking, and live streaming features. Unfortunately, you do have to pay monthly for cloud storage access and intelligent alerts, which are incredibly vital. However, if you’re willing to pay $500 for a wireless security camera system, then there’s no doubt you can afford the monthly subscription as well.
The TP-Link Kasa Spot Indoor Camera may not boast unique or premium features that set it apart from the competition. It has all the features that other wireless security cameras offer: a 1080p resolution, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, two-way audio, night vision up to 30 feet, and live streaming. However, it offers uniquely offers instant activity alerts without the cloud subscription. Users can also program up to 4 customizable zones so it can focus more on areas in your home that matter most.
Most importantly, it’s simply reliable. Made by TP-Link, a trusted name in routers and computer networking. To protect your privacy, your video streams are protected with 128-bit AES encryption straight from the camera so your recordings are safely transmitted as if it was piped through a VPN. The only thing is, you’d have to pay for the cloud subscription to save the full recordings for up to 30 days.
While eufyCam 2C is one of the most expensive wireless security cameras on this list, it’s worth checking out, especially if you’re invested in Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. Highly compatible with HomeKit, this completely wire-free system also offers special features like human detection technology that distinguishes humans from animals and objects, only sending alerts when it’s detecting an actual person, and local-only storage that lets you store up to 3 months of footage, forgoing the need for a cloud subscription.
The eufyCam 2C also touts a 135-degree diagonal field of view, a battery life that lasts 6 months on a single charge, an IP67 weather-proof rating that allows it to survive inclement weather, a built-in spotlight, and an AES-128 data encryption to protect your clips and footage from prying eyes. For a 2-camera kit, this will set you back more than $200, so it’s certainly not cheap. However, for all those incredible features, it’s definitely worth saving for.
What to look for when buying the best wireless security camera
Picking the best wireless security camera for you and your home isn’t hard. These cameras, after all, have quite a few things in common that kind of make your buying decision easier. They’re all easy to install. They all have some sort of smart home integration, whether it’s with Alexa, Google Assistant or HomeKit. And, they all offer live streaming, alerts and notifications, remote access, and night vision.
If you’re not too particular, any of these excellent security cameras above should be able to handle your home security needs – as long as they’re within your price range. Still, it isn’t as straightforward as you might think, especially if you have specific features you want to check off your list.
Resolution
Most of the best wireless security cameras that are currently on the market have a resolution of 1080p. That’s pretty much the standard these days, although there are also a few options out there that only have a 720p resolution. 1080p should be sharp enough for your home security needs. However, if you want something sharper, there’s a small number of 1440p resolution cameras as well, albeit perhaps at a much higher price than their 1080p counterparts.
Storage
Many wireless security cameras store your security footage in a cloud, transmitting all of the captured video and audio files to an offsite or remote storage location that you can access via an app. This keeps your video footage secure and protected, especially from intruders looking to remove any evidence of their crime.
Unfortunately, while some manufacturers offer this cloud storage service for free and others offer theirs for a free-yet-limited use, there’s also quite a few that force you to pay for a monthly subscription. Without that subscription, not only are you unable to review past recordings, but you’re also losing some important features like real-time alerts. Luckily, you’re more likely to pay $3 to $5 than $50 a month for these subscriptions.
If cloud storage isn’t something you’re comfortable with, there are also a small number of wireless security cameras that come with MicroSD cards for local storage.
Power source
As we mentioned earlier, the word “wireless” in wireless security cameras refer more to the mode these devices use to transmit your video and audio signals, than to whether or not they’re completely cable-free. That means that some wireless security cameras still use a cable for power.
Unfortunately, these cameras are affected by power failures and outages, which is why many people prefer wire-free battery-powered security cameras instead. These come with rechargeable batteries that last anywhere from three months to two years on a single charge.
There are also a handful of wireless security cameras that use solar power, and they’re a favorite among the more sustainability-conscious consumers.
Indoor or outdoor use
Although some of these cameras are designed for both indoor and outdoor use, specific ones are indoor only. This is something you should double-check, especially if you’re living in an area with extreme weather. You wouldn’t want your $150 indoor security camera to stop working after a couple of months because it got snowed on the night before.
Other security features
Apart from the basic security features that all these cameras have in common like night vision, alerts and notifications, live streaming, and 2-way audio, there are some bells and whistles that only a handful of them offer. Examples of these extra features include built-in spotlights, a built-in siren, panning, and military-grade data encryption.
While many of these special features probably won’t come in handy in normal, everyday situations, they’re still worth looking into, especially if they don’t really cost you that much more to have.
Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.
When the credits roll at the end of Mortal Kombat 11‘s excellent story mode, the slate has been wiped clean. After a variety of entertaining time-travelling hijinks, everyone’s second-favourite Shaolin monk, Liu Kang, has ascended into godhood and is ready to begin writing an all-new chapter in Mortal Kombat history. It’s as close to a perfect ending as you can get to the almost 30 years of convoluted lore this series has. But now, there’s Aftermath, Mortal Kombat 11’s optional expansion that tacks on a handful of new chapters to that narrative. And while the idea of a story-focussed add-on to this fighting game is an exciting prospect–and it certainly has its high moments–when the credits roll for the second time there isn’t that same sense of gratification.
At the beginning of Aftermath, which immediately follows the end of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang is interrupted by the nefarious sorcerer Shang Tsung. Along with the righteous wind god Fujin and badass indigenous shaman Nightwolf, the trio stops Liu Kang from proceeding with his rebuilding plans with the warning that they need to go back in time, again, to retrieve a MacGuffin in order to stop the process from going to shit. Over five chapters and a cinema-appropriate two-and-a-half-hour running time, the five Mortal Kombat characters that have now been introduced to MK11 as post-release content get to make their mark in the story. The chapters cover the hijinks of Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and the banshee queen Sindel from the Fighters Pack 1 DLC, as well as two characters newly introduced in Aftermath: Fujin and the four-armed Sheeva.
The relatively brief running time of the whole thing allows it to be mostly filled with great moments. The blockbuster flair present in the original story mode is again in full force, as is the excellent fight choreography that makes you want to leap out of your chair. There’s still that weird disconnect when an extravagant fight cinematic transitions into the more rigid nature of the game’s actual one-on-one fights, but there are some good moments that lie in the gameplay portions too, like the handful of battles where you have an assist character to call on.
The absolute highlight of the story–and probably the whole Aftermath package–is undoubtedly Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s performance as he reprises Shang Tsung. He is deliciously evil, and the fact that he knows every other character is incredibly wary of his inevitable betrayal only feeds his playfully arrogant ego. Great facial animations and expressions, along with the amusingly unscrupulous timbre of his voice, help to really nail key moments here–his sly, smirking grin definitely left a big impression on me.
Shang Tsung is an absolute treasure, and the overall story is mostly entertaining all the way through–the exception is Sheeva’s chapter, in which the plot barely moves forward. But I couldn’t help but feel a bit ambivalent when it all was said and done since the story essentially leaves the series lore in the same place. That’s a big relief, in a way, and I’m glad the five new characters managed to get some time in the spotlight–this is a great roster. But that comes at the cost of taking away some of the grand prospects of endless possibility that we were left with last time–a new ending teaser definitely seems to narrow the scope somewhat.
Superfluous story aside, the other content included in the Aftermath expansion are three new characters–the aforementioned Sheeva and Fujin as well as special guest character Robocop from the classic 1987 Paul Verhoven film (which is the only Robocop movie that exists, as far as I know). Sheeva is a heavy-hitting grappler with some great advancing options, best characterised by her flying stomp where she disappears off the top of the screen before crashing down on her opponent. Fujin is an incredibly flashy and unique character who is excellent at controlling space with ricocheting crossbow bolts, capable of pushing and pulling his opponents all over the place with the power of wind, and also has the delightful ability to run through the air and strike from above. I love both of these new characters, though your enjoyment may vary depending on your preferred playstyle.
Robocop, on the other hand, I didn’t quite gel with. He’s a keep-away character who mainly focuses on keeping opponents at bay with a number of projectile and knockback options, a style that feels in line with the character. It can be a killer strategy if you have patience and the ability to read your opponent’s movements well, but it’s unfortunately not something I excel at, and as a result, I didn’t find Robocop to be as interesting of a character, movie homages aside.
The release of Aftermath also sees Mortal Kombat 11 get a major update that adds new brutality finishers for every character and new stages as well as the introduction of stage fatalities–the Retrocade stage, in which an in-universe projector beams out classic Mortal Kombat stages accompanied by a period-appropriate soundtrack, is one of my personal favourites. But Friendships are the significant new addition–instead of finishing your opponent by mutilating them, each character now has the option to show off their playful side with bizarre performances of unabashed joy, though some are certainly a lot more inspired than others (Jax’s saxophone solo is a clear frontrunner, and Shang Tsung’s rainbow garden is on the other end of the scale). It’s a little terrifying to see the Mortal Kombat characters smile so hard, but they’re definitely a worthwhile inclusion.
But the Friendships, new stages, and new finishers are freely available for owners of Mortal Kombat 11, and the only content exclusive to Aftermath are the additional story chapters and three new characters. Though that’s a very welcome decision–free is good–it makes Aftermath less compelling when considered specifically on its own terms. Mortal Kombat 11 remains one of the best fighting games of this console generation, and the recent free update makes it better. Aftermath introduces a couple of great characters, and the expanded story definitely has its highs, but it’s not essential to your enjoyment of an already superb game.
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When the credits roll at the end of Mortal Kombat 11‘s excellent story mode, the slate has been wiped clean. After a variety of entertaining time-travelling hijinks, everyone’s second-favourite Shaolin monk, Liu Kang, has ascended into godhood and is ready to begin writing an all-new chapter in Mortal Kombat history. It’s as close to a perfect ending as you can get to the almost 30 years of convoluted lore this series has. But now, there’s Aftermath, Mortal Kombat 11’s optional expansion that tacks on a handful of new chapters to that narrative. And while the idea of a story-focussed add-on to this fighting game is an exciting prospect–and it certainly has its high moments–when the credits roll for the second time there isn’t that same sense of gratification.
At the beginning of Aftermath, which immediately follows the end of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang is interrupted by the nefarious sorcerer Shang Tsung. Along with the righteous wind god Fujin and badass indigenous shaman Nightwolf, the trio stops Liu Kang from proceeding with his rebuilding plans with the warning that they need to go back in time, again, to retrieve a MacGuffin in order to stop the process from going to shit. Over five chapters and a cinema-appropriate two-and-a-half-hour running time, the five Mortal Kombat characters that have now been introduced to MK11 as post-release content get to make their mark in the story. The chapters cover the hijinks of Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and the banshee queen Sindel from the Fighters Pack 1 DLC, as well as two characters newly introduced in Aftermath: Fujin and the four-armed Sheeva.
The relatively brief running time of the whole thing allows it to be mostly filled with great moments. The blockbuster flair present in the original story mode is again in full force, as is the excellent fight choreography that makes you want to leap out of your chair. There’s still that weird disconnect when an extravagant fight cinematic transitions into the more rigid nature of the game’s actual one-on-one fights, but there are some good moments that lie in the gameplay portions too, like the handful of battles where you have an assist character to call on.
The absolute highlight of the story–and probably the whole Aftermath package–is undoubtedly Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s performance as he reprises Shang Tsung. He is deliciously evil, and the fact that he knows every other character is incredibly wary of his inevitable betrayal only feeds his playfully arrogant ego. Great facial animations and expressions, along with the amusingly unscrupulous timbre of his voice, help to really nail key moments here–his sly, smirking grin definitely left a big impression on me.
Shang Tsung is an absolute treasure, and the overall story is mostly entertaining all the way through–the exception is Sheeva’s chapter, in which the plot barely moves forward. But I couldn’t help but feel a bit ambivalent when it all was said and done since the story essentially leaves the series lore in the same place. That’s a big relief, in a way, and I’m glad the five new characters managed to get some time in the spotlight–this is a great roster. But that comes at the cost of taking away some of the grand prospects of endless possibility that we were left with last time–a new ending teaser definitely seems to narrow the scope somewhat.
Superfluous story aside, the other content included in the Aftermath expansion are three new characters–the aforementioned Sheeva and Fujin as well as special guest character Robocop from the classic 1987 Paul Verhoven film (which is the only Robocop movie that exists, as far as I know). Sheeva is a heavy-hitting grappler with some great advancing options, best characterised by her flying stomp where she disappears off the top of the screen before crashing down on her opponent. Fujin is an incredibly flashy and unique character who is excellent at controlling space with ricocheting crossbow bolts, capable of pushing and pulling his opponents all over the place with the power of wind, and also has the delightful ability to run through the air and strike from above. I love both of these new characters, though your enjoyment may vary depending on your preferred playstyle.
Robocop, on the other hand, I didn’t quite gel with. He’s a keep-away character who mainly focuses on keeping opponents at bay with a number of projectile and knockback options, a style that feels in line with the character. It can be a killer strategy if you have patience and the ability to read your opponent’s movements well, but it’s unfortunately not something I excel at, and as a result, I didn’t find Robocop to be as interesting of a character, movie homages aside.
The release of Aftermath also sees Mortal Kombat 11 get a major update that adds new brutality finishers for every character and new stages as well as the introduction of stage fatalities–the Retrocade stage, in which an in-universe projector beams out classic Mortal Kombat stages accompanied by a period-appropriate soundtrack, is one of my personal favourites. But Friendships are the significant new addition–instead of finishing your opponent by mutilating them, each character now has the option to show off their playful side with bizarre performances of unabashed joy, though some are certainly a lot more inspired than others (Jax’s saxophone solo is a clear frontrunner, and Shang Tsung’s rainbow garden is on the other end of the scale). It’s a little terrifying to see the Mortal Kombat characters smile so hard, but they’re definitely a worthwhile inclusion.
But the Friendships, new stages, and new finishers are freely available for owners of Mortal Kombat 11, and the only content exclusive to Aftermath are the additional story chapters and three new characters. Though that’s a very welcome decision–free is good–it makes Aftermath less compelling when considered specifically on its own terms. Mortal Kombat 11 remains one of the best fighting games of this console generation, and the recent free update makes it better. Aftermath introduces a couple of great characters, and the expanded story definitely has its highs, but it’s not essential to your enjoyment of an already superb game.
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With Sony’s PS5 event next week, there’s already tons of excitement and speculation about what the company will reveal about the upcoming next-generation console. While new games being played on PlayStation 5 are confirmed to be part of the showcase, we might also hear more technical details around its internal architecture and possible services. And if luck’s on our side, there could even be a price confirmation, which would be helpful for those looking to start setting aside some savings to purchase it this holiday.
After all, there’s been a lot of talk about how much the PS5 will cost. As it pertains to Sony’s history, it’s easy to feel anxious when it comes to pricing a new PlayStation console, as there’s potential it will replicate the steep PS3 price point. However, with PS5’s proposed feature set, the console’s lead architect Mark Cerny has declared that the price “will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set.”
As next week’s event approaches and imaginations continue to run wild about potential price points, the GameSpot staff began to deeply meditate on how much money the PS5 will set back consumer wallets. Below, you can find a handful of predictions from the team, addressing our thoughts on the subject and how much we’d personally pay for the console. Be sure to let us know your predictions in the comments.
I’m a long-time PC gamer, so I know the drill when it comes to upgrading components and building new gaming rigs altogether. It has made me somewhat nonchalant about the pricing of gaming hardware–not because I’m a baller (as my bank and ViacomCBS can confirm), but because the top of the line hardware comes at a high cost.
Concerning the PS5, just thinking about its solid-state drive (SSD) capabilities has me expecting a high-end price point. Super-fast NVMe SSDs for PCs have become a bit more affordable but are still considered a luxury item. So far, the SSD has been one of the biggest flexes of the PS5, reducing 15-second load times to a fraction of a second in some cases.
Another aspect to consider is that the PS5 (and Xbox Series X) will have games that use ray tracing, which is a high-end graphics feature even on PC. You also need an Nvidia RTX graphics card to even do it properly, and while RTX cards have become more affordable, it’s still not exactly cheap.
PS5 uses brand-new tech in AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics that will be capable of 4K resolutions and possibly higher frame rates. Of course, it’ll be up to developers on how to best take advantage of those features. But making a capable console requires a lot of power, and the recent Unreal Engine 5 showcase is indicative of that.
If games are going to look this good and run this smooth, I don’t mind shelling out $500. But I will want to see an enticing lineup of games or clearer messaging on how PS4 games will benefit before making a purchasing decision.
$450 – Dave Klein, Entertainment Video Producer
I admit these days I’m in a fortunate position that–unlike the era of my childhood where I would spend months upon months saving up and working odd jobs so I could afford a system–I no longer have to worry about new console price points. But, even then, it’s still a hefty investment, and I also strongly feel these systems should be priced affordably.
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While I understand the parts that go into these are expensive, and often console makers sell systems at a loss, companies still feel greedy when companies ask for too much money. It reminds me of the PS3 era when Sony was so over-bloated in their confidence, and the price point was so outrageous at the time, that it turned me off from ever buying their system.
Due to inflation over time, prices inevitably go up, so considering the last-gen systems launched at $400, I’m okay with a $500 launch price. However, that still seems like a lot to me, especially when you can buy a Switch for $300. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never particularly cared about graphical capability, and I’m really only in it for the newest wave of fun games. Still, any specs beyond obliterating load times aren’t as much of a selling point as they used to be for me. So, I’m splitting it down the middle! I’m okay with $500, would prefer $400, but will go with $450.
$500 – Tony Wilson, Video Producer
I think we all remember that disastrous $599 USD price announcement. Some years later, the PS4 launched at $399. Do you know what sits nicely between those two numbers? $499. That’s a reasonable price I’m willing to pay to play next-gen games and bring over supported backward-compatible PS4 titles I already own.
Would I pay more? Yes, but not for what has currently been announced. If Sony were to magically make all PS4 (and even PS3 or earlier) games playable on the PS5, it could get away with charging more. However, a limited selection of backward-compatible games doesn’t entice me as much, especially when compared to the Xbox’s impressive, ever-growing library.
Any higher price than $499, and you’re starting to approach meme territory again. Throw in PlayStation’s incredible history of games, however, and I bet even the most prominent critics of Genji: Days of the Blade would pay it to fight another giant enemy crab in 2020.
$450 – Eddie Makuch, Editor
Video game consoles are expensive to buy brand new, and this trend is going to continue with the PlayStation 5. I would expect the next-generation console to sell for $450 to $500 USD at launch. Sony cannot go near the disastrous $600 USD launch price point for the PlayStation 3, and $400 seems too low for the PlayStation 5 given its components and other factors.
The PlayStation 4, which became the highest-selling console in years, released at $400 USD in 2013, but the market has changed. There have also been complications and uncertainties related to manufacturing and assembly due to COVID-19.
The PS5’s impressive and beefy new guts come at a cost, and all that power is making the system run hot. Bloomberg reported that Sony is struggling to price the PS5 due to its costly parts, including a cooling system that the company is paying extra for to help mitigate that heating issue. Gaming consoles are often sold at a loss, with software and services revenue paying the bills until the price of components comes down. This trend is expected to continue for PS5, which is why I think a $450-$500 price point at launch is reasonable, with a $50 price cut after 18 months.
$500 – Phil Hornshaw, Editor
Video games have always seemed like a massive, hard-to-justify expense to me, even as a person who covers games for a living. I know that’s the case with a lot of other people, and that’s why I’d struggle to go higher than a $500 price tag. We can talk all day about the hardware under the hood of the PS5, but for a lot of people, $500 is a massive expense for entertainment (especially when it’s just opening the door to more stuff you have to buy).
Here’s the thing: in a lot of ways, gameplay haven’t drastically changed over the last few hardware generations with the addition of more power. Occasionally we get something that feels like a serious step forward, like (somewhat) affordable virtual reality, something like Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system, or massive player counts in multiplayer games that genuinely make them feel new. But I remember firing up my PS4 and Knack after dropping $400 on the console on the evening of its launch, only to find a relatively by-the-numbers 3D action platformer–but with more particles. The PS4 has become my most-used hardware this generation, but it was mostly a Resogun machine and an expensive Netflix box during the launch period.
The point is that there might be a lot of power in new game hardware and that the internal components might be expensive. Still, I think most people aren’t especially concerned with what’s under the hood of their game consoles–not having to worry about the components is the point of buying a console in the first place, as opposed to a high-end PC. They do care about fresh and novel game experiences, but the last few hardware generations have slowed in really differentiating themselves from one another. Any high price tag is tough to swallow, and while the hardware might require the PS5 to push $500 or more, I’m not sure that’s a cost a lot of people will be willing to bear, at least until the console proves itself with graphics and experiences to justify the leap.
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Apple has long been known for creating fantastic synergy between their devices, and perhaps there is nowhere that has been more pronounced than with the advent of the Apple Watch.
The Series 5 has more features and quality-of-life updates than any that came before, and now you can save up to 22% on a variety of models on Amazon, including the 40mm and 44mm GPS models in space gray and pink, and the 44mm GPS+Cellular model, which can work independently of your phone, if you want to go for a run and keep your pockets empty without.
Brian Barnett writes wiki guides, deals posts, features, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian’s antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).
